


Meetings with Death

by superyuui



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canonical Character Death, Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 00:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2711993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superyuui/pseuds/superyuui
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fai met Death four times, and never once felt afraid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meetings with Death

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: this fic ends in a suicide, but there's also a lot of other bad stuff. Nothing good happens in here, basically.

The first time Fai met Death was not long after the twin babes had taken their first, panicked, breaths. 

Their sharp infant cries echoed off of the walls, unheard over the frenzy of medical staff tending to the new mother. 

Death was lurking just beyond the edges of their eyes, ready to lead his new ward to her final rest. 

She came willingly, pausing only to peer at her newborn children in their tiny, shared cot. She did not weep for them, and Death did not offer any comfort; now was not their time.

They remained as her vacant body was covered and taken away, the babes in their cot fussing quietly, their bright, unfocused blue eyes staring defiantly at Death’s dark silhouette.

The first time Death met Fai was to take his mother away.

-

The second time Fai met Death was at the foot of the stairs, clutching Yuui’s hand in his own. The boys were barely knee-high, and they stared at the body of their broken father, wondering if he would rise again. 

Heavy footfalls echoed in the frozen, fragile silence, and the boys looked up to see Death emerge from the shadows, his great sword unsheathed. Red eyes stared down at them, and they stared back, unflinching.

Their father would not easily accompany Death to his realm- instead, the poisoned spirit perished forever on the edge of Death’s blade.

Death spared another glance at the boys. One of them had crumpled to the floor in his grief, the other still watched with morbid, innocent curiosity. Death turned his back; now was not their time.

The second time Death met Fai was to take his father away.

-

The third time Fai met Death was on the worst day of his life.

He was still young – far too young, Death thought, to be so thoroughly abandoned – and it still was not his time. 

The same was only half true for his sickly brother.

Yuui came easily, composed and serene, accepting of the last journey.

Fai, heartbroken and hysterical, did not accept so readily. He clutched his brother’s frail, empty, body to his chest and screamed at Death. He begged and pleaded in utter desperation, offering himself in Yuui’s place, his voice raw.

Death watched him silently, red eyes narrowed into a frown. 

Yuui had not waited for Death to guide him, and had not looked back at his brother before disappearing. Fai was truly inconsolable, and for the first time, Death yearned to offer comfort to one of those left alive. Instead, he turned his back and followed Yuui into the darkness.

The third time Death met Fai was to take Yuui away.

-

The fourth time Fai met Death was finally on his own terms.

Decades had passed, and Fai had long left boyhood behind. The adult he had become was not what Death had seen for him on their first meeting. The sweet babe sharing a tiny cot with his twin brother was now a bitter, lonely young man.

Fai’s blond hair was framed – haloed – by the artificial lights of the sprawling city, and Death felt a long-forgotten sensation blossom within him.

It was still not Fai’s time, but Death was not foolish enough to misunderstand.

“I hadn’t pegged you for a jumper,” said Death. Fai did not jolt in surprise, nor did he turn to face Death. Fai had expected him, sooner or later, after all.

“I thought I’d try out a new hobby,” Fai replied casually, followed by a plume of smoke rising above his head. Fai did turn, then, his blue eyes turned purple and dark under the night sky, “you’re early, though. I’m not nearly drunk enough yet to go through with this.”

Death sat heavily beside Fai on the ledge, and pulled a glass from the empty darkness. Fai had filled it for him before Death could ask him to.

“To your good health,” Death toasted. Fai’s resulting snort echoed inside the bottle he drank from.

If Fai found it surreal to be sharing his last drink with Death, he didn’t mention it.

“Why is it,” Fai said, all of a sudden, “that I can see you, when others can’t?”

“Some can,” Death corrected, and then shrugged, “I cannot control it.”

Fai hummed, and was either considering the new information, or was considering his next question. Death, as usual, beat him to it.

“I cannot control who I take, either.” Death said gently, and Fai’s shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. 

He glanced over the edge, measuring the drop.

“If that’s true, then at least I know I’m doing it right this time.”

Silence stretched. At length, Fai extinguished his cigarette by dropping it into his near-empty bottle, which he also balanced on the ledge.

Fai stood. The breeze pulled at his hair and clothes, urging him back to safety.  
If his body trembled, Death didn’t notice

“Will I see him?” Fai asked finally. Death had never heard him sound so unsure.

“Would that comfort you?” Death replied, knowing Fai’s answer. “Truthfully, I cannot divulge the secrets of the Otherworld to those anchored outside of it.”

Fai nodded, and swallowed. Death closed his eyes.

The fourth time Death met Fai was the last time.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this fic was going to be about a boy who fell in love with Death, and the roles were going to be reversed, but there wasn't any way I could figure out how to do it that wasn't terrifyingly morbid and obsessive.
> 
> I was inspired to write this when I thought of the (unhealthy) relationship the Doctor has with River Song, and it lead me to think about writing a KuroFai where they only see each other once every few years. 
> 
> This lead me to thinking about the Sims series, where you only see Death when other Sims die, but you have the option of befriending and falling in love with Death, having Death's babies and whatnot. 
> 
> I also thought about the Tales of Beedle the Bard, in Harry Potter, and the line "he greeted Death like an old friend", and had the mental image of Fai sharing a Drink and a cigarette with Death, looking out over the city.


End file.
